Anthony Joshua says Ruiz "won't get back up" in rematch

Anthony Joshua says when he fights Andy Ruiz Jr again in December, the world heavyweight titleholder "won't get back up" from the canvass.

Ruiz inflicted the first professional defeat of Joshua's 23-fight career at Madison Square Graden via a seventh-round stoppage in June, landing Joshua's IBF, WBA and WBO belts in the process.

He became the first Mexican world heavyweight champion and the pair will meet again in Saudi Arabia on December 7th after Joshua invoked his clause for a re-match.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Anthony Joshua was asked about how the fight was lost. "By a lucky punch. By a punch sent by the gods," said the 29-year-old former Olympic champion.

"Let me concuss Ruiz Jr," Joshua added. "He won't get back up. Ruiz Jr got hit by a flash knock-down - he was still raw, he wasn't well-done, he wasn't cooked yet. I should have left him a little bit longer. But the instinct in me was: 'Boom!'

"I ended up getting caught with a left hook on the top of the head. He ain't that skillful. He's a good fighter."

"Do what I did in round three, but with more silky skill. And that was easy to put him down. So I need to be smarter, next time. I wasn't boxing properly. Skipping around the ring like a marathon runner. Dancing around the ring. It was never the game-plan to have my arms low, and be over my front foot."

Speaking in June after the initial fight, Tyson Fury said, "I looked at Joshua and I saw that he didn’t want to be in the ring on the night. He was looking away he had other things on his mind.

“From round one I could see what was going to happen. I looked at Joshua and he didn’t have no water, no sweat on him and I thought this guy is going to get knocked out."

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